Parkrun #22: Gateshead

Third time here today and I'm writing this while studiously ignoring my phone, which has just received the txt message telling me what time I got. Instead, I want to write about how I think I did, unbiased by the stopwatch. So here goes.

Steve McShane / Saltwell Towers / CC BY-SA 2.0, as pilfered by from wikimedia

In short (and I will keep this short), I'm happy that I pushed myself hard enough. I purposely moved nearer the start line today in an attempt to avoid the worst of the congestion, but still got boxed in until the first corner, which was really frustrating. Thereafter, there was more space to set my own pace and I'm happy with what I did. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't hoping for a PB (for this course, not overall), but I've also felt like that in the past and been disappointed, so... whatever.

I guess the only other thing to note is that I did complete the course without slowing to a walk in a toilet-related panic. Which was a relief. 😂 I didn't manage to push to the line as hard as I did on my first visit to Gateshead, but I did push all of the way.

Right, that's enough to write. I'm off to grab my phone now.

[INSERT DRAMATIC PAUSE]

27:01! A Gateshead PB! Get in. I confess, just before I checked it, a thought of "Oooh, I wonder whether I'll be back in the 26-minute times" did flash through my head, but alas, I'm just outside it. Never mind. I'm still happy to have improved my time. And who knows: with a bit less boxing in at the start, I might've dipped under 27 minutes. (There's always an excuse, isn't there? 😂)

So, just 3 more parkruns to go before I can buy myself a purple t-shirt. I might see whether I can persuade my friend to join me on that 25th run, so that she can also notch up her 50th and we'll get our milestones together. As ever, we'll see. 🤞

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